


There & Here

by mildrice



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Naruto
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Changing Tenses, Crossover, Gen, No beta only suffering, Self-Insert, Work In Progress, oc-insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-03
Updated: 2019-08-24
Packaged: 2019-10-21 09:15:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17639993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mildrice/pseuds/mildrice
Summary: Ty Lee is a moment too late in chi-blocking Azula. Mai, hit at such close proximity by Azula’s powerful cold-blooded fire, dies. Now, in a Fire Nation other than the one she called home, Mai is given the chance to live again.At least she won’t be bored.





	1. Mai no Tenten

Azula stared at Mai in shock. “Why would you do this, Mai? You know the consequences of betrayal.”

Mai saved Zuko. She can stand against Azula once more. “You miscalculated by assuming things about me. After all, I love Zuko more than I fear you.”

Azula’s eyes flashed, “No you miscalculated! You should have feared _me_ more!” Mai, the daughter of the Governor of Omashu, readied herself to fire off a series of stilettos while Azula, the Crown Princess of the Fire Nation generated lightning. At the same time, Ty Lee, one sextuplet of a Fire Nation Noble, moved to stop Azula’s attack with chi-blocking jabs. The circus acrobat was a moment too late, however, and Azula’s lightning stroke true. 

 

The cold blue fire raced through Mai's body, her heart's rhythm disjointed and failing. Mai hoped one of her knives managed to hit Azula but what's one nonbender versus the Crown Princess? 

Someone cried in the background - probably Ty Lee. 

“I'm sorry” Mai whispered, and everything blurred to black.

 

* * *

 

Mai wakes up cold and confused. Her uncle wouldn’t put her in the ‘coolers’ even if Azula ordered it. So, why is she freezing? She tries to speak but only manages a gurgle. Mai attempts to talk again, this time creating a short cry. She doesn’t understand. Mai is so disgusted with herself and whatever is happening around her. 

Someone notices that she's awake and repositions her. The new place is warm and calming, and Mai finds herself falling asleep. Time passes by in short blips of human interaction and terrifying dreams. Mai isn’t entirely conscious, but she knows something is wrong with her. She’s sure confident she died… so what is all this?

 

* * *

 

Mai can see now. She can control her blinks and move her head from side to side, peering out the bars of her crib. Yes, her crib. Somehow she’s in a chubby little body, and she doubts there’s a prison that infantilizes its detainees. She can’t speak, and she can’t understand the noises around her. It’s a boring life, and she finds herself disappointed, yet altogether unsurprised. Perhaps this is her hell, a punishment comprised of removed autonomy and extreme boredom. 

 

* * *

 

_“Say okaa-chan! Okaa-chan!”_ A large face peers down at her. Mai.’s resigned herself to the fact that she’s a baby. While she can’t understand what the woman is saying, Mai’s fairly certain she’s supposed to repeat the noises back. _“Oh-kaa-tan”_ she mumbles back. The woman squeals in excitement, picking her up and squeezing tightly. Her little body can’t handle the stress, and she bursts into tears. _“Oh no! Kaa-chan’s sorry! Is Tenten-chan hungry? Tired? Sleepy?”_ The woman flutters around in a panic and Mai tries to get her body to stop crying. It doesn’t work. She falls asleep.

_Okaa-chan_ is more energetic than Ty Lee. She flits around the house, always in motion. Sometimes she carries Mai on her hip as she does chores around the house. Perhaps Mai is the daughter of a commoner? She doesn’t see any other children, and she’s yet to meet her father. Mai misses her little brother. She misses Zuko too.

 

Her mother has red hair. She’s loud, and she’s happy. Her face is expressive, and she never seems to stop. _“Look! Tenten-chan, ot_ _ou-_ _chan is home!”_ Mai yawns, displeased about her interrupted nap. When she opens her eyes a man’s face is close to hers. It’s strange how much this man looks like her previous father, Ukano. Her new mother looks nothing like Michi, but she seems to value family just as much, if not more than her first mother. Mai hopes this father won’t put politics before his wife and daughter. _“She’s beautiful.” “Isn’t she? We made something beautiful together!”_

Her father is a  _shinobi_ while her mother is a blacksmith. They live in the Village Hidden in the Leaves in the Land of Fire. Shinobi are like benders and non-benders combined. Her mother is skilled with weapons like Mai used to be. Her father can bend fire. She thinks she might be a bender this time around as her body feels like a flickering candle. The new language isn’t too hard to pick up, and she thinks she’s progressing at a rate similar to Tom-Tom, if not faster. Tom-Tom and Tenten - Mai can’t tell if they’re purposefully similar or just some ironic twist of fate.

 

Mai spends more time with her father as time passes. She's surprised, but please to learn that her mother works too, not just her father. It seems like they’ve designed their work schedule so that Mai won’t be left alone. While she misses the luxury of her former home, it’s nice to have parents that put her first. Mai smiles more and surprises herself by laughing and clapping in joy at her father’s antics. Her parents are in love with each other and with her, their precious baby. Would she and Zuko have had a child too? He would've needed an heir, surely. 

 

* * *

 

Mai is almost two years old now, and she’s begun to get a bit restless. Unlike her old body, Mai is full of energy, and like her new mother, she needs to run around and let it all out. Mai feels like a tiny Ty Lee, her body limber and ready to take to the air. Today she’s playing hide and seek at the park. Children are annoying, but it makes her mother happy, so she’ll play with them. The little ninja-wannabes have nothing on her years of experience. It’s awful, and she hates everything, but she can’t help but smile.

 

 

Life can't be simple for Mai, however. She's been too complacent, too comfortable. How silly of her,

 

It's October 10th, and Mai's family has just finished dinner. For once, they're all at home, no missions or projects hanging over their heads. It seems almost too perfect, too ideal. She doesn't want to spoil the moment, content to listen to her mother and father banter and laugh. Mai doesn't have to be quiet; she doesn't need to be seen but not heard. She can be silent because she wants to, not because she has to. If she dared to, she could even be as loud as her mother. It's a nice feeling. 

 

The feeling doesn't last. Seemingly out of nowhere, Mai feels the dread of her death, the burning cold of Azula's ire. She can't breathe. It's terrifying, and everything around her shatters. She doesn’t want to die. Tenten wails as her world is overwhelmed with  ** _anger! malice! sharp! death! fear! horror!_ _red! orange! crimson! blood! rage!_**

 

 

 

As dawn breaks, Uzumaki Tenten can be seen cradled in the arms of her mother. Her father is dead, a casualty of the Nine-Tails like so many other shinobi who were called to fight the beast. Dried tears cover her face, and she swears to herself that she won’t die yet. Her father might be gone, but she knows her mother is strong. She'll survive. 


	2. Points of Ellipsis

Tenten is an Uzumaki. This means she is predisposed towards large chakra, sealing, and a multitude of other talents related to vitality and liveliness. At least, she's supposed to be. Her mother certainly is, full of laughter and energy, even as the lack of commissions and customers makes covering rent harder each month.

 

Everyone wants an Uzumaki, but no one wants to be one. The village desires the seals, the powerful chakra, the wild nature of the sea. Ninjas covet the weapons, the healing, the strength they bring to bloodlines. The Will of Fire wants the appeal of a sister village, of allies, of human sacrifices for the greater good.

 

Leaf doesn't have a good history with Uzumaki's, but according to mom, nothing but Uzushio could ever be home. All the other countries stole and hoarded the Uzumaki people. Leaf just put on a show of peace and pacifism, with token efforts like giving all the war-torn orphans Uzu family names and inscribing the spiral on their uniforms. How nice, to be respected only in death, as a mistake, a failure that isn't even glossed over in the academy.

 

Speaking of the academy, it's so dull. It's worse than the Royal Fire Academy for Girls. There's no Ty Lee to fill the silence, no Azula to follow, no reason to even be here.

 

Ever since that fateful encounter with Azula so many years ago, Mai, no Tenten, has found herself slowly testing where authorities lie. Are they flexible? Breakable? Open to interpretation? How much can she say? Ask? What is real?

 

Being a cute little girl is okay. Being an Uzumaki isn't right. Being good at weapons is respected, being better than clan children isn't allowed. There are many unwritten rules that Tenten is learning to decipher. Etiquette, ethics, etc. It is disgusting, but she'd rather be alive than dead. She lived the life of a noble girl, a porcelain doll to be wed off. Tenten can definitely learn to be what this village wants of her.

 

* * *

 

The Uzushio district is next to the red light district and the Stadium. From an official standpoint, Little Uzu is there so the Seal Division can reinforce the main security seals. Those in the know understand that the village doesn't like acknowledging the ghetto of refugees - those they've failed. Tenten grows up among vibrant people who've learned to be quiet, who survive by going under the radar, the smoldering remnants left behind by the brightly consuming Will of Fire. 

 

Tenten is just another grunt outside of the district, as are the rest of her neighbors. They're the slated grunts, the lowest priority and least protected. All Uzu children should know this truth and be resigned to their fates. The sole ignorant Uzumaki is in her class, however, and she doesn't understand why he's so insistent about his name. Hasn't he realized now that it does nothing good? That no one really cares? That he's doing nothing for his ancestors by being like this? He's so tiresome. He's loud and gets shut down. How boring. If only he were funnier and less obnoxious.

 

Still, Tenten doesn't absolutely hate anyone. She hates the systems they perpetuate. She hated how Azula was never enough and took her insecurities out on her friends. She hated how Zuko always left her behind. She hates how her dad is dead for a village that doesn't care about her family, that her mom continues to live here because it's the least bad of all the options. She hates how weak she is, how passive she is.

 

* * *

 

_Snap sizzle hiss shudder-_

 

“-Get back Tenten!”

 

Her mom yanks her back, activating a barrier seal within seconds. The seal Tenten had been working on combusts, creating massive clouds of smoke.

 

“Tenten! That was so dangerous! I told you not to practice seals without me!” Mom worries a lot, hands hovering over Tenten, almost smothering in her tender care. Tenten is still a little touch shy. It wasn't proper to be so emotional, so touchy, so outwardly affectionate in her first life. She loves the closeness of her mom, though. It's welcome against her existential crises about the meaning of life.

 

“Tenten! I know you're usually so self-composed, like your father was, rather than me. But this is a bad Uzumaki trait to take! This is how people die!”

 

“I'm sorry.”

 

Her mother glomps her in a hug. “I worry about you! I'm always in the shop when you need me. Tell me if you want to learn more!”

 

Tenten knows money is tight. Her mom is still cheerful and lovely, but her endless energy feels strained these days. It's hard to cover the cost of being a ninja, even if you make the tools yourself.

 

“Why were you working on seals anyway, dear? I thought you didn't like them.”

 

“They mentioned seals in class today. We got one sentence in the textbook. I might not be a good Uzumaki, but I still am one."

 

“Tenten... “

 

“Look, mom, I can't make chains like you. I can't heal like you. I have to at least try seals some more before giving up. “

 

“Tenten, not everyone can make chains.”

 

“You said all your aunties and cousins could make chains.”

 

“Yes, well, there were different types. Some were heavy and large, for barriers. Others were quick and wiry, like chakra strings. Here are so many ways to be an Uzumaki, you know."

 

“My chakra control is bad. And I don't even have enough chakra to keep up with you or others in the district."

 

“You're you. You're my precious child, my haven amongst the messiness. It's ok to be you, just you.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

But it's not okay. Tenten can see the same signs, the way students pledge to the Hokage and the Will of Fire, how history only dates back 100 years, how wars are painted as inevitable, and how Leaf is always the defenders of goodness. She sees the gender-divided classes, the hidden histories and politics, the soldiers, the leaders, and the fodder.

 

Tenten can't be fodder. She can't. She should accept it and move on but if that blond Uzumaki can still get up after each brush-off, can't she do so as well?


	3. Conceal your Weapons

 

Tenten values kindness. It is too easy to be bitter, too easy to give into apathy. She existed and to be honest, still lives in her misanthropic worldview. That's why whenever she meets people with genuine kindness, she can't help but smile at them. Sure, she might be more stoic than the average kid (she still loathes the idea of crying), but Tenten is getting better thanks to the ever bouncy influence of her mom.

 

Tenten's a cute kid if a bit plain. Her chubby cheeks blush pink easily, and her hair is up in her signature ox horns. She can't give up every bit of her past self after all. Here, Tenten doesn't have to have her clothes ordered specially to provide space for her stilettos. Instead, it is more unusual to find clothes without hidden pockets. The Uzushio quarter is especially good at sewing and embroidering intricate seals of protection, storage, and affection.

 

She still wears a lot of red. Less black and maroon since those are colors for Rock ninja (as opposed to Leaf nationals), but she can't help but represent the Fire Nation. Red is her color, the color of her mom’s people; it is her past and will be her future. Tenten's not naive. She's being trained to kill, to fight, to win. She is cannon fodder now, one of the many unfortunate souls who will be traded about by politicians and will likely die in the pursuit of expanding the Will of Fire.

 

Mai was angry. She was a cold angry, a bitter angry, a lonely angry. She was scared of Azula, fearful of Zuko dying, terrified of losing control. Tenten is less hostile. She's mad about losing her dad, frustrated with the poor living conditions of the lower classes, upset about the misogyny of kunoichi classes.

 

Tenten is Mai wiped clear of royal expectations, of noble tradition, of fatigue and disdain. She finds herself playing the straight man, the voice of reason, the convenient student who doesn't fan over their crushes. She's allowed more freedom to explore, to experiment, to try more masculine things. Tenten, after all, isn't being raised to support a husband (outside of kunoichi classes).

 

It is freeing, knowing that your country wants you to die for it, rather than having to live for it.

 

 

* * *

 

 

By the time she's 10, Tenten finally has a grasp on her chakra chains. Unlike her mom's adamantine chains, Tenten produces lighter and more flexible links. If her mom's sealing chains are dense metal and protective barriers, Tenten's chains are like spider silk, adaptable and multipurpose, unassuming but still stable and durable. From a distance, one might assume them to be chakra wire or chakra strings.

 

While it is less fun to have a subtle gift, she's also aware that it will keep her safer. An Uzumaki with massive sealing proclivities would not go unnoticed by the sharper depths of Leaf. Tenten invests in chakra wire and makes sure she can control her small arsenal of weapons with both pure chakra and wiring. A good ninja keeps their techniques secret after all.

 

At the Academy, Tenten has shown herself to be quick but not too smart. She's average in everything but stamina and illusions. She's not an endless battery like her mother, and she doesn't want to be. It's safer to be typical, average, convenient. She's an all-rounder who will be put into support thanks to the rules of team formation and tradition.

 

Tenten keeps herself friendly, open, honest, and focused. Everyone knows she disdains the gender bias. She's physically active and tactically decent. Tenten is convenient in ways that Mai would never have let herself be. As the years have continued and more civilians drop out, Tenten finds herself among more and more clan kids. She is technically a clan kid. She's not an heir or spare; however, most of her heritage, history, and wealth lies submerged beneath the depths of whirlpools.

 

How strange it is to know that her lifestyle is the result of Leaf's failure and inability to pay back its debts. It is not unlike Ba Sing Se.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Tenten! Demonstrate your kunai throwing.”

 

 _Swish. Thwack._ Rinse. Repeat — 10/10 bullseye.

 

This teaching assistant is a new one. He's surprised by her competency as if her chakra exercises in the back of the class were products of her inability to throw weapons. She can do both. Tenten doesn't and won't have the legendary control of Lady Tsunade, nor will one find her in the hospital. She can and will develop her skills in any way she can. Seals require synchronization of body and mind. A short session like this won't benefit her throwing. Instead, it would impede her progress. She's not here to show off, like the Hyuuga or Yamanaka. It does bug her though, that everyone expects her to fail.

 

 

“ No-name Tenten”

 

“ Clanless-nobody”

 

 

Children can be exceedingly cruel. She's angry that the teachers do nothing, that they enable these wrong assumptions and enforce the inequalities. Considering how much they attack her, a _nice girl,_ it is strange to ponder how much worse Leaf can be for those who don’t even try to fit the mold.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Time passes, and her anger slows. It is still there, always beneath the surface of her skin. Tenten is as angry as she is happy, as mad as she is tired, as upset as she is disappointed. She’s always furious, but that’s okay because it will keep her alive.

 

She passes the Academy with a ninja score of 18. Not too much, nor too little. She’s fast, great at dodging, and can perform basic ninja techniques efficiently. Tenten is smart at tactics and research, though her love of esoteric topics means she falls behind in other areas. She hasn’t built her fighting style around strength or endurance - she is designed to be a quick executioner, not a tank. Unfortunately, specialized skills like weapons and sealing aren’t included in her overall score, though she supposed it is good that kunoichi scores don’t count either. She’s quick with her hands and mind, but she’s stubborn to a fault. She will not be a honeypot. Tenten has seen what it has done to some of her neighbors, to some of the other female sacrifices in the Uzumaki District.

  


“Hyuuga Neji, Rock Lee, and Tenten! You will be on Team 9, with Might Guy.”

 

Her team has two combat-oriented students and one combat-specialized professional. Tenten sees the role they want her to play. The balance, the straight man, the peacekeeper, the regular civilian. Tenten will not burn herself to fuel these boys. Her anger is not theirs to command.

 

Tenten hopes she’ll be able to withstand this team.


	4. 100 Shots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is a time skip...

Wave smells like salt and metal. It's temperate, but the ever-present clouds and drizzle make it feel heavy and chilled. Petrichor. Is this what her home would've been like? What her mother had frolicked in as a child? 

 

The drunkard makes the contemplation difficult. He smells disgusting, and his attitude is more significant than Neji's. Even Guy-sensei and Lee's cheers for Youth do little to reduce the tense atmosphere. If only the trio of stubborn idiots hadn't been determined to fulfill this mission. Yes, Tenten hates boredom, and this mission has the potential to be interesting - but there's nothing quite as frustrating as the male ego in their determination to be right. She could be at home with her mom or be training more with her chains. 

 

"Everyone duck!"

 

Tenten drops down quickly, snagging the ridiculous client down at the last moment. A whistling sound cuts through the thick fog (and since when had the fog gotten so thick?) and when she looks up she sees a magnificent sword jammed into a tree. 

 

Unfortunately, there's a man leaking killing intent on top of the weapon. She'd love to examine the blade and figure out how it works. 

 

"Leaf. Of course, he'd crawl to Leaf." The ninja spits on the ground, disgruntled. 

 

"Hello, fellow Ninja! What a surprise you have brought today! Your stealth is excellent! How might we assist each other today?" 

 

Guy-sensei is so strange. How can he sound so thrilled, calm, and threatening at the same time?

 

"Give me the bridge-builder, and I'll let your kids leave with their lives."

 

Neji won't like being called a kid. Ever since his loss at the chunin exams in Rock he's been determined to train even harder. 

 

Luckily Guy-sensei is right next to Neji and stops him before he can mouth off to the stranger. 

 

"On my honor as a Leaf ninja, I cannot let you take our client!"

 

"So you'll die then, to my executioner blade."

 

"Executioner blade? Oh! It is you! Zabuza formerly of the Bloody Mist! Now I must surely win!"

 

Guy-sensei is making hand signs behind his back. _Client. Go. Complete. Mission._ Tenten can see Lee's frown and Neji's discontent. Even she is unsure about leaving their teacher alone. He's strong… But is he strong enough? 

 

"Look, old man, we've got to go. Tell me how to get to your village."

 

The client is still in shock, mouth gaping at the scene. Whatever. They have to go. She's the fastest unless Lee takes his weights off. Tenten memorized the map. She can at least get the client away from the threat. 

 

Neji's byakugan is activated. She mouths the plan and gets ready to move. 

 

Three handseals later, and the client is safe and secure in her Unconscious Transport Seal (patent pending), and Tenten is darting up and away through the trees. 

 

She hopes Neji and Lee work together and that Guy-sensei will prevail. 

 

Suddenly, senbon attack from the right. She deflects them with a kunai, tucking the scroll away in her pocket. It is too subtle for a swordsman - an accomplice? 

 

More senbon, this time from above and behind. She feels her chains tremble, ready to burst out of her skin. No. She can't use such a rare trait in front of an unknown enemy. 

 

Tenten summons her mid-range chain and sickle, spinning it quickly to deflect their senbon. She can hear the hard knockback of weapons hitting wood. Tenten can tell where her opponent is now. She might not have an all-seeing eye, but she does know how to use her surroundings to her advantage. She lets the chain slack in her palm, ready to direct it with a boost of chakra. _Ready...and…_ Smack! She yanks on her trusty weapon and slams the opponent on to the mossy ground. 

 

Before sealing the weapon away with a flick of her wrist, Tenten selects her next scroll. You can't be too cautious with a downed opponent. She learned that the hard way at the exams in Rock. Kindness kills, and underestimating an enemy leads to destruction - she's got the abdominal scars to show for it. 

 

Stilettos in hand, she pins the enemy to the ground, one per limb. Tenten retracts the chain and tucks it away. In the past, she would've just restricted her opponents by pinning their clothes. Now she knows better. The stilettos have a mild sedative which should give her an edge. 

 

The other ninja looks like they might be her size, lean and agile, if not covered by many outer layers. They must run cold, water or wind type perhaps? They haven't moved other than a few strong exhales from being pinned by the knives. Excellent pain resistance then, and an assassin-type too. They're waiting for her to make a mistake. 

 

"Tenten! Guy-sensei needs help! We need a stronger barrier seal to contain the swordsman!"

 

"Lee, volume control. I can hear you just fine. I'll be there in a moment once I take care of this opponent."

 

"What opponent, Tenten?"

 

What does Lee mean, _what opponent…_ oh? Oh no. She didn't pin down the hands. They must be able to use one-handed seals. That means the enemy heard about the current situation and must have run off to help their partner. Did she learn nothing from the exams at Rock?

 

"Time to go, Lee, we've got two opponents, not just one."

 

They arrive just in time. Neji is unconscious, his torso decorated with senbon. Guy-sensei is defending him, deflecting sword and senbon alike. 

 

"Lee, take care of the senbon user. Leave your leg weights with me. Your speed means you can evade better than me. I'll support our teacher."

 

"But Tenten, we must help Neji!"

 

"Survival first, Lee, now go!" She yanks off his weights and pushes him towards the fray. He's more talented than he thinks and she can't help everyone at once. 

 

Tenten runs towards her teacher, sealing scrolls prepared in both hands.

 

"Guy-sensei, Angel Wings!"

 

He propels her up, and the is boost made stronger by her additional chakra enforced jump. Guy-sensei will maneuver the swordsman into her preferred range, and she'll strike him down. 

 

_Thwack, thwack, thwack!_ She pours down a rain of steel. Each kunai pushes him closer to Guy-sensei's massive fists, and each punch leads him closer to her explosive finale. 

 

_3, 2, 1, now!_ Ninja tools are all her favorite, but she has a fondness for her explosive spheres as well. 

 

She jumps down near Neji and Lee, waiting for the explosions to clear. She has a few stilettos ready just in case. 

 

As the smoke clears, she sees two singed bunnies. Bunnies? She didn't have a transformation seal as part of Angel Wings. They must have used a transportation jutsu. 

 

Lee runs to Gai-sensei, and the two investigate the unfortunate animals. Tenten is left to examine Neji. The needles aren't deep, but there are many. He's lucky he didn't land on any of the wounds. She isn't a medic, but she knows enough - never remove impaled weapons unless you know how deep they are, and even then, only remove the shallowest of objects. The senbon looked thick, meaning casually pulling them out could damage nerves, blood vessels, and make the wound much worse. So, Tenten applies bulky dressings around the embedded object to stabilize it in place and prevent it from moving around. 

 

"Ah, Tenten. We should collect your weapons and Neji. Where is the client?"

 

"He's secure in my stasis seal. What about Zabuza and his accomplice?"

 

"They used the chaos to substitute with the animals. Zabuza was uninjured, but it looks like his accomplice was bleeding."

 

"And the animals?"

 

"Slightly higher chakra than expected but not a transformation jutsu or summon animal. You can seal them away for future investigation if you must, we need to get Neji treatment."

 

Tenten collects her many weapons with the help of a more subdued Lee. This wasn't a fun battle of friendly rivals but a conflict of mercenaries with opposing clients. At the same time, Guy-sensei sends his turtle summons to contact Leaf about the change in mission level. Neji is still knocked out. The team needs a medic to balance out the impulsiveness. They better not push her into that role. She's convenient enough as it is. 

 

The team sets up camp in the forest and compile a list of what they know about the mission. For one, this isn't a C-Rank. Missing-nin of this caliber aren't for genin to tackle. Next, the client was lying. The extent of his lies was ambiguous and something to investigate further. 

 

Tenten dislikes it when things get convoluted like this. Give her a target and let her aim - keep things simple, not boring. Hating boredom doesn't mean she wants to have such tiresome experiences outside of Fire Country. This was supposed to be a team-building exercise, a chance to flex their eager mission-muscles instead of the grueling training Guy-sensei organized for them after their poor performance three months ago. They had been overconfident, arrogant really, in their ability to fight in new terrains. They didn't even make it to the third part of the exams. Of course, a rookie team of only six months couldn't compete on an international level, especially in these times of peace with more relaxed expectations. 

 

But now isn't the time to reflect on past mistakes.  It's time to get some answers out of this so-called client. 

With crisp movements, she unseals the man. 

"Hello Tazuna," she says, toying with a kunai. 

"We have some questions for you."

He gulps.

...


End file.
